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Democrats and Republicans Say Second Shutdown ‘Train Wreck’ on Horizon

Yuri Gripas/Reuters

Another government shutdown could be less than a week away, with both Democrats and Republicans doubting Sunday that recent talks to avoid it will succeed.

In an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said he “absolutely cannot” rule out a shutdown over President Trump’s push for $5.7 billion in border wall funding.

“You cannot take a shutdown off the table, and you cannot take ‘5.7’ off the table,” Mulvaney said.

Mulvaney raised the possibility that Trump will declare a national emergency in an attempt to get more wall funding.

Negotiators from both parties have scrambled since the last government shutdown ended in January to come up with a deal that will avert another shutdown on Feb. 15. But the negotiations remain deadlocked on border wall funding.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) said the chances of a shutdown are “50-50.”

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) was similarly pessimistic about the prospects that negotiations will succeed before the shutdown deadline.